The Noblemen and the Traveler
by Mrs Soong
Summary: Oswald and Lewis befriend a young woman, traveling through Cleveland... and she has some pretty interesting stories to tell. Rated T for mild language and suggestive themes.
1. The Toy Room

**A/N:  
So this is something I've been working on in _Real Time_, meaning that as the days progress, real time was passing. So if something doesn't make sense, just tell me in a review. And spelling errors... I apologize for. There was WAY too much for me to go over. XD  
So read and review! And thanks for any advice.  
Peace. **

Oswald and Lewis sat, barwise in the Warsaw Tavern.

They were sipping their beers when the bell on the door clanged, and Lewis turned around, his eyes widening.

"Oswald,"

"Hmm?"

Lewis nudged his buddy. "Door."

Oswald turned around, blue eyes sparkling curiously.

What they saw was a woman, in a black halter top and flared jeans, her short black hair swept back behind her head.

She strolled up the bar, a smile alight on her face, the guys' eyes following her the whole time.

Noticing the stares, the woman looked them both in the eyes.

"Hi there," She grinned.

Lewis cleared his throat. "Oh, hi."

"Huh?" Oswald mumbled, eliciting a jab in the ribs from Lewis. "Oh, right. Hi." He smiled.

Gesturing to a stool, she raised her eyebrows. "Is this seat taken?"

"No! No, no..."

"Nope!"

She sat down, and offered a hand, still smiling. "I'm Charlie."

Oswald shook her hand, nodding enthusiastically. "Oswald!"

Lewis took the hand, and kissed it, looking at her out of the top of his eyes. "Lewis. Lewis Kinisky."

"Nice to meet you guys."

Tim glanced up from behind the bar. "These two aren't bothering you, are they ma'am?"

"Huh? Oh, no, I like gay couples." She grinned, and Tim shrugged.

Oswald and Lewis looked at each other. "What?"

Lewis started. "We're not-"

"He wont-" Oswald cut in, then stopped with a twitchy look from Lewis.

"Oh, you guys aren't gay?" Her eyes widened. "Sorry, I just see two cute guys hanging out in a bar and assume..."

"What?" Oswald's eyebrows furrowed. "Did you just- wait, did you just call us _cute_?"

"Yeah! How dare you call us cute?" Lewis fumed, then paused.

"Here, let me make up for that by buying you a beer." She said apologetically, noting their empty glasses.

The two shrugged, and flagged down Tim for the beers.

"Thanks, by the way." Lewis shrugged, and Oswald nodded in agreement.

"For the beer?"

"No, for calling us cute." He looked down into his beer.

Oswald nodded again. "Most girls either call us creepy, stupid, irritating, or boring."  
"Boring?" Charlie raised her eyebrows. "I don't know how someone gets an adjective like 'boring' out of talking to you two."

"What about creepy?"

"No, I get that one..."

Lewis rolled his eyes and Oswald shrugged.

Charlie looked off into space for a minute, then turned back to the two. "Do you guys know where any good motels are in Cleveland? Cheap, preferably?"

"Well there's a Motel 8 behind the bar," Lewis gestured. "But I wouldn't stay there..."

"Hey, anything that's not a million dollars. I'm kind of low on cash."

"Well why don't you just stay with us while you're in town?" Oswald angled his head.

_Oh, well, there goes THAT girl who actually was talking to us..._ Lewis thought.

But Charlie raised her eyebrows. "Really? That wouldn't be too much of a problem?"

"Wait, you're not creeped out?" Lewis jerked his head up.

"What? Why would two guys I met in a bar who live with each other asking me to stay with them while I was in Cleveland creep me out?"

Tim snorted behind the bar, and Lewis glared at him.

"Of course not. I've done way crazier stuff." Charlie grinned. She slapped her backpack. "This is my only stuff anyway." Then she frowned. "Uh, you guys do have more than one bed, right?"

Oswald nodded rapidly. "Of course! I mean, the only time we even sleep together is when there's a thunderstorm."

"Okay, answer this one moron, where's _she _gonna sleep?"

"Oh, I can totally sleep on a floor." Charlie widened her eyes.

"How about the toy room?" Oswald looked at Lewis pleadingly.

"Fine." Lewis quirked an eyebrow. "But you don't touch the collector's items, got it?"

Charlie grinned, and nodded excitedly. "Sure! Whatever you say!"

Then her and Oswald high-fived over Lewis's shoulder, both giggling.

"This is gonna be GREAT."  
OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

Charlie plopped down on the floor of Oswald's toy room.

Oswald nodded excitedly. "I'm gonna go change into my pajamas!"

He took off, and Charlie shut the door and changed quickly into hers; a white tank top and fuzzy blue pj bottoms.

She sat back down on the floor, and Oswald knocked and came in, sitting down accross from her.

"So Oswald," She tied her hair up into a short pony tail. "How long have you and Lewis lived together?"

He shifted, his fuzzy navy pajamas sparking on contact with the carpet. "On and off ever since high school."

"And you've always lived in Cleveland?"

"Oh yeah," He nodded, hair bouncing a little. "We grew up here,"

"Wow," Charlie sat back, resting her palms on the carpet. "I could never stay in the same place for that long."

"Is that why you came to Cleveland?"

"Well, I actually didn't come here on purpose. Or to stay." She shruged. "I was on my way to Akron, and I got a tiny bit lost."

"What's in Akron?"

"Oh, nothing. I've just never been there before..."

Oswald turned his head. "So where do you live?"

"Nowhere, really. I travel all the time. If I get a good job, I stay for a few months, make enough money to leave the country and come back, then move on."

"That's scary. How do your friends feel about you always being gone?"

She shrugged again. "They don't. Most of them are in California... the rest are spread out, and I only see them about once every ten years."

"But that's sad..." Oswald looked a little distraught, but then Lewis opened the door and stuck his head in.

"What are you crazy kids up to in here?"

"Just talking!" Charlie reported.

"Lewis, Charlie only sees her friends every ten years!"

"Ten years?" Lewis came in a little further and sat down next to Oswald. "That's a long time."

"Yeah, I guess."

"You miss them?"

"Not usually." She looked up, thinking, then back to Lewis. "Sometimes it's best when you only have that initial impression... makes it seem more special."

Lewis swallowed, and looked at Oswald, who was fiddling with his zipper.

"I guess. But still," He frowned. "Oswald and me have never been away that long."

"What about that time you got mad at me for that dishes thing?"

"That was ten _days_, you dolt."  
"Oh."

Charlie watched them go at that for a few minutes, until Lewis stood up and stretched. "Well, I have to be up early tomorrow. Some monkey exploded in the lab yesterday, and if you let it dry too long, that stuff never comes off..."

He left the room, closing the door behind him.

Charlie looked at Oswald. "What-"

"He's a janitor at a drug testing company."

"Ah."

Oswald glanced around. "Well, I should probably go to bed now too. I heard girls sleep too." Charlie smiled, then-

_BOOM!_

Thunder shook the entire room, and Oswald jumped and grabbed Charlie's arm.

Then he looked at her desperately. "Is it okay..." He trailed off, averting his eyes.

She grinned and rubbed his shoulder. "You can sleep with me if you want."

Oswald raised his eyebrows. "Does that mean we get to have sex?"

Charlie lowered her eyebrows sternly. "No, Oswald."

"Oh."

"And if you touch me in any way I find creepy, I will break your thing off and nail it to your front door."

Oswald just stared at her.

"Got it?"

"Um, okay." He nodded, then laid his head down on the twin pillow set near the wall.

Charlie followed, and smiled softly, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Good night, Oswald."

"'Night, Charlie."

The thunder shook the room again and he squeezed her arm.


	2. Sexy Childhood Memory

Lewis woke up to the smell of something...

something familiar...

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

What was that?

OH! BACON!

The tall man rolled out of bed, hit the floor with a solid _THUD _then leapt up and tried to look casual after he ran into the kitchen and saw Charlie, flipping out a final pancake and frying about 15 pieces of bacon.

"And what's this?" Lewis said with his 'almost-gay' voice.

"Breakfast!" Charlie turned around, and Lewis tried to seem inconspicuous as he noticed her lack of bra under her pajama tank. "I figured I could say 'thanks' this way... you know, for letting me stay the night."

Lewis heard sleepy shuffling footsteps behind him, and turned around. "Oswald?"

"Whas thas smell?" Oswald mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Oswald, why didn't you sleep in your room?"

Charlie waved a spatula to get Lewis's attention. "There was a thunder storm last night. He got scared."

"Well you could have slept with me, buddy." Lewis sounded a little hurt.

Oswald furrowed his eyebrows at his housemate. "But Charlie's softer. And she smells good!"

Charlie grinned, and winked at him.

"You slept WITH her? In the same BED?"

Oswald nodded, and Lewis threw his hand in the air. "That's perfect. We bring a girl home and _you _get to sleep with her!"

"We didn't have sex, Lewis..." Charlie raised an eyebrow at him, and flipped a piece of bacon.

"So you expect me to believe that a pretty girl like you and a guy like Oswald didn't get a _little _bit frisky sleeping together all night?"

"Nope. I stayed awake longer than him to make sure that didn't happen."

"Great. Just great." Lewis sulkily sat down. "Well, at least you guys didn't do anything in the toy room... my poor R2..."

Oswald joined him at the table, and Charlie filled up some plates with food and set one down in front of each, giving Oswald a wink and Lewis a light kiss on the forehead.

They both looked at her inquisitively, but she ignored them and asked what they wanted to drink.

"There's beer in the fridge..."

"Perfect." She got them each one, filled herself a glass of water and sat down to eat.

After they'd all finished the food, Charlie rinsed off their dishes and took a quick shower, leaving Oswald and Lewis to talk for a few minutes.

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

They sat on the couch, and were silent for a minute, before Lewis said.

"So she's... warm?"

"Yeah." Oswald smiled lopsidedly.

"Is she soft?"

"Like a teddy bear!"

Lewis sighed. "You know, you could have invited me..."

Oswald looked at him strangely, and after a moment Lewis shrugged. "OKAY okay, you're right, that would have been weird..."

Oswald nodded.

They were quiet again, and then both turned when Charlie yelled from the bathroom.

"Uh, can one of you bring me my backpack?"

They looked at eachother.

Oswald nodded, and yelled over his shoulder. "Why?"

"BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE MY CLOTHES!"

The guys' eyes' widened and they looked back at eachother, then jumped up.

"I'll get it!" Lewis struggled not to fall as his long legs caused him a couple trips.

"No, I've got it!" They fought to the toy room and Oswald grabbed the pack, and raced to the bathroom, where Lewis slammed into him from behind, slamming the door open and pushing Charlie into the bathtub, her towel almost falling off on the way.

"OW, dammit!"

Oswald struggled up, followed quickly by Lewis.

"Guys! What the hell?"

"Sorry, sorry!" They mumbled as Lewis offered a hand to pull her up out of the tub.

"Jeez guys, you're lucky I had a towel on!"  
"Not really..." Lewis muttered.

Charlie narrowed her eyes and strutted right up to him. "Believe me, Lewis." She let her hand drift to his nether reigons. "You're _very _lucky."

"What is it with you and that thing?" Oswald wondered.

She turned her glare to Oswald, and wordlessly snatched her pack.

"Now both of you, get out so I can dress."

"You sure you wont need any help getting-"

"LEWIS! OUT!"

She shoved them out and slammed the door. The two exchanged looks, and Lewis muttered. "Being bossed around in my own house..."

Charlie opened the door up, gentle now. She was drying her hair off with a towel, and wearing her backpack. "Lewis, didn't you have to get to work?"

"Oh, no." Lewis blinked. "They called me earlier and said I didn't need to come in. Apparently they're just going to burn that part of the lab." He shrugged. "Easier for me.

Charlie nodded, and spaced off for a second, like she seemed to do a lot.

"Well, guys." She tossed the towel back through the door into the bathroom. "I should head out. I've been enough trouble, and I need to get on anyway."  
Lewis almost said good riddance, but was interrupted by Oswald's baritone.

"Wait, already?"

"It's that time."

"Oh..." Oswald looked down and scratched the back of his head. Then he looked at Lewis, his big blue eyes sparkling.

Lewis stared at him for a second, then groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Charlie had turned right, heading down the hall.

"Charlie, wait." Lewis called.

She turned around and blinked, eyes wide. "Huh?"

"Charlie do you..." Lewis sighed, and looked back at Oswald, who nodded. "Charlie, do you want to stay for a few more days?"

"Really?" She shifted her backpack, and Lewis nodded. "I'm not the greatest addition to a bachelor pad."

"Sure you are!" Oswald strode over to her and touched her arm.

"For once, he's right." Lewis conceded. "A pretty girl is always an improvement."

"Well then." Charlie grinned, and looked from Oswald to Lewis, slipping her backpack off her shoulders into her hands. "I guess I could spare a few days... if it's no trouble."

"Not at all," Lewis smirked and went over to put an arm over her shoulder, tracing a line down her arm.

Charlie popped her jaw out. "That, however, is a problem." She looked at Lewis, who drew his arms back and crossed them.

"Fine," He grunted. "I can live with that."

Charlie slapped them both on the back. "Fantastic!" She grinned, and walked back to the toy room at the other end of the hall.

The two watched her walk. Oswald did that cute little shrug, and Lewis put a hand to his chin thoughtfully.

"Cute girl."

"Nice ass."

They spoke at the same time, and looked at eachother, and after a second, high-fived.

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

"Excuse me?"

Drew looked up and saw a narrow-faced woman standing over him.

"Hello, ma'am, can I help you?"

"You work here, right?"

He looked up through his thick-rimmed glasses at the "NeverEndingStoredotcom" banner on the building behind him. "Why, yes I do."

"Great! Do you know where I could find someone who can hook me up with an application?"

"Actually, yes." He gave her instructions to the manager's office.

"Thanks so much." She smiled apologetically. "I'm new in town..." She held out a hand. "I'm Charlie. Thanks for the help...?"

"Drew Carey." He shook. "Aw, you're welcome Charlie. Hey, you one of the angels? Hahaha," Drew chuckled at the joke, and Charlie grinned.

"I could kick Farrah Fawcett's butt any day, Mr Carey."

"I'd love to see that."

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

"Hey Oswald! Oswald!" Charlie ran through the park to the front door of the guys' house and popped the front door open. Oswald was asleep on the couch, with his work hat sitting on his face to block out the light. She clamped her lips shut and closed the door, then tiptoed to the couch and sat down next to the sleeper to see what he had been watching on TV.

Tom and Jerry was on, with the volume up all the way.

_I wonder how he sleeps with all those explosions..._

She giggled when Tom dashed down a coal shute, and sighed, resting a hand on Oswald's.

What Charlie didn't realize is that Oswald had already woken up when she sat down, but for some unexplainable reason, kept pretending to sleep.

He felt an electric shock when she set her hand on his, and sighed quietly, smiling under the hat.

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

When Lewis got back, Oswald had "woken up" when Charlie went to the bathroom, and was back to watching cartoons while she cooked dinner.

"Hey guys." Lewis pulled a shoe off.

"Hey Lewis,"

"Hi Lewis."

"Smells good, Charlie."

"It's spaghetti!" She sounded proud of herself, and was grinning, unaware of a smear of sauce on her cheek. Cocking her head, Charlie had a thought. "No one's allergic to tomatoes, right? I didn't think to check."

"Not us," Lewis confirmed, and walked off to his room to change.

Oswald finally got up and wandered in to see how Charlie was cooking.

He glanced at her cheek. "Uh, you have a..."

She looked at him expectantly.

"Well there's- here." He grabbed a napkin and gently wiped the sauce off. Oswald stared at her for a long second, eyes flickering, then smiled and averted his eyes to the ground. "All clean."

Charlie smiled with half of her mouth. "Thanks."

He nodded, and Lewis appeared and started messing with the sauce she was simmering, quickly joined by Oswald, until Charlie kicked them both out and finished cooking while they watched Cartoon Network.

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

The three sat on the couch, chowing down Charlie's masterpiece.

"That spaghetti was great, Charlie. Usually when we get it, it's in little cans that you put in the microwave." Oswald nodded.

Lewis finished wiping his plate clean and agreed.

"So," Charlie clasped her hands. "I got a job, and I insist on paying rent if I'm going to stay."

Lewis looked at Oswald and shrugged. "Perfect." He smiled slightly. "A boarder's actually a good idea..."

Oswald nodded. "By the way; Charlie?"

She looked up. "Hm?"

"How old are you."

Lewis leaned forward, interested in Oswald's question's answer.

"I'm twenty-nine."

Oswald stared at her. "Seriously?"

"Yeah," She looked back and forth between the guys. "What? Is that a crime?"

"No!" Lewis shifted and held up a hand. "That's great..." The corner of his mouth twitched, trying to get up into a smile.

Charlie grabbed the plates and ran them to the sink and came back, plopping down on the floor.

"What do you guys normally do on a Friday night?"

"Tonight's karaoke night at home." Oswald nodded enthusiastically, grinning.

"_Unless _you wanted to do something else." Lewis glared at the smaller man.

"No! I mean... karaoke night sounds kind of fun." Charlie shrugged, blushing. "I don't know what most people do Friday nights..."

"You mean in Cleveland?"

"Anywhere." Her blush deepend. "I'm usually driving these nights."

"Huh," Oswald smiled. "Well, we're gonna show you a real Friday- Cleveland style!"

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

"STRANGERS! SEARCHING IN THE NIII-IGGHHTT!"

Oswald, Lewis and Charlie all yelled into the microphone, sweat dripping off of their faces.

Charlie threw herself face-first down on the couch. "I'm out! You'll have to go on without me!"

"We never leave a man behind!" Oswald grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "YOU HAVE TO GET UP! THE SHOW MUST GO ON!"

"Leave her! She'll drag us down!" Lewis grabbed Oswald by the collar, leaving Charlie to fall back onto the couch.

"NOOOOOOO!" Oswald fell to his knees. "Why do the good always tire out young?"

The song ended, and Lewis plopped down on the couch next to Charlie's face.

She sat up, and threw her head back. "Man! That's tough stuff!" She grinned. "You guys are amazing!"

"Aw, really?" Oswald shrugged, embarassed and proud. He sat down on the other side of her.

Charlie put an arm around each of their shoulders. "Really!"

Lewis 'bah'd and Oswald did some more nervous shrugging, but she could tell they were both loving the attention.

"Well, I'm gonna go change and then catch 40 winks."

Charlie stood up, and Oswald grabbed her wrist. "Wait- Charlie, can you... sing me to sleep again? Like you did last night?"

"Really?" Charlie blinked and raised her eyebrows. "You liked my singing?"

"You sang him to sleep?" Lewis frowned.

"It was pretty." Oswald ignored the question posed by the other guy.

"Aw!" Charlie squeezed his hand, then held up a finger. "Give me a minute to get jammied, then I'll meet you in your room."

Oswald nodded, and dashed off to do the same.

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

Charlie stroked Oswald's hair, and quietly sang the stanza (the only one she knew) for the fifth time.

"_Are you going to Scarburough Fair? _

_Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. _

_Remember me to one who lives there... _

_he once was _

_a true love of mine_."

"I like love stories." Oswald mumbled, half asleep.

"Me too, Oswald." Charlie grinned, and rubbed his cheek with the back of her hand.

"Can you tell me one?"  
"I just did, silly."

"Not a song, a real story, Charlie."

"Okay..." She angled her head and thought, then looked down at Oswald. "Okay, close your eyes."

He obeyed, and Charlie's hand went back to his hair. "So once upon a time, there was a wandering adventurer. She had no horse, but she still had seen almost the whole world, and one day the adventurer happened upon a little village. Once there, she went into a tavern for a drink, and met two young noblemen, who kindly offered her a place to stay."

"Mmmhmm." Oswald wasn't even coherent, but Charlie knew he would wake if she stopped, so she went on.

"So the one nobleman, with hair the color of a raven's feather and eyes the color of the twilight lit sky, he was particularly kind to the traveller. So kind, that she fell in love."  
"Mm," He mumbled when she paused.

"But alas, she could not marry him. The adventurer was bound by destiny to travel on. Never stopping, never becoming part of a community. So alas, before she broke his heart, the adventurer decided she would run off as the noblemen slept. Taking only what she came with, and leaving behind only a memory."

Charlie leaned down and kissed his forehead. Then stood up, and stared down at Oswald.

"Then the nobleman and his friend lived happily ever after."

She backed out of the room, watching Oswald to make sure he did wake up, and after closing the door, turned around and walked right into Lewis.

"Lewis? Oh, hi, I was just-"

"Can I tell you a story, Charlie?"

"Um..."

He dragged her over to the couch and made her sit down.

"Charlie, there were once two guys in their forties who had lived together since high school. One of them hadn't had sex in three years and the other had been left at the altar the same night."

Charlie blinked, and swallowed. "You mean-"

"Quiet, listen." He stared at her intensely. "So one day these two guys meet this beautiful girl in a bar. The one with blue eyes gives her the benefit of the doubt, and in return, the beautiful girl saved him from a thunderstorm. So he falls in love with her, right?"

"Wh-why-"

"Let me finish. So then the girl goes to run off..." Lewis stared past her, his eye twitching. "But then decides to spend one final night of passion with his friend!"

"What?" Charlie shook her head. "LEWIS! That's disgusting!"

"Okay, okay! I'll change the end." He glared. "My point is, the girl runs off, and leaves the guy heartbroken. Again. Do you want that?"

Charlie looked down. "Well, no..." Then she looked up at Lewis, fiercely. "No, Lewis. You know what? People don't fall in love with me. That's not something that I let happen." She stood up and stomped her foot. "I'm leaving. I'm going to be in Oklahoma by tomorrow."  
"What's in Oklahoma?" Lewis yelled, and stood up, towering her by a good foot. "Oswald's not in Oklahoma! _I'm _not in Oklahoma!"

"So? It doesn't matter at all!"

"We just don't _matter_?"

Charlie half screamed, half growled. "Life is out there! If I stay here, who knows what will happen? I might get stuck! Never leave!"

"And what's so wrong with being stuck here?"

"Nothing! Everything! Cleveland's great, but it's not _the world_!"

"So? What's so great about the world? Here you have _us_! How's the world better than friends?"

"It just is!" Tears were already streaming down Charlie's face. And now she hiccupped a sob and buried her face in her hands.

"Oh, hey-" Lewis's eyes widened, and he hugged her.

Charlie sobbed into his shirt. "I don't want to be stuck somewhere again! I need to travel- to be alive!"

Lewis rocked her back and forth. "It's okay, Charlie. Shhhh."

Through her quieter sobs now, Charlie laughed a little. "Lewis, I'm having a moment, would you mind not grinding me?"

He scoffed and released her from the hug and sat down on the couch. She sat next to him and wiped the tears off her face.

"I can't stay here, Lewis. I can't."  
"Yes you can, Charlie. You can do whatever you want. You're hot."

She laughed again, and sniffed. "Thanks. Maybe I will."

"Atta girl. Now why don't you go get some sleep? You look all blotchy, it's gross."

She grinned. "I always get blotchy when I cry." She stood up. "Thanks Lewis."

"No problem," He slapped her butt, and she flicked his head when she walked behind him.

"Night, Charlie!"


	3. She doesn't like beer!

"Dada da da da Scarburough Fair...

blah blah blah something something and time..."

Charlie woke up on Oswald's bed.

"What the fu-"

"It's okay, Charlie." She looked up and saw the bed's owner sitting in a chair by the headboard. "All we did was move you in here, nothing weird, I promise."

Nonetheless, Charlie took a peek under the covers, discovered her pants were still present, and decided to believe him.

But still. "Why'd you move me in the first place?"

"Lewis said sleeping on the floor is bad for your back. So I just put you in here this morning... you slept hard, never even woke up."

"Wow." She sat up and rubbed her head. "Man, I had some weird dreams."

"It wasn't a dream." Lewis came in and handed Charlie and Oswald each a beer. "And you-know-who doesn't ever need to hear that story." He looked at her pointedly, then gestured at Oswald.

"Right, right." Charlie sighed shakily, and set the unopened Buzz Beer down on Oswald's night stand.

"You not thirsty?"

She shook her head. "I don't drink beer. Never did the trick for me, and I'm usually driving, so I don't have it."

The guys exchanged 'uh-oh' looks. "What about... coffee?" Oswald said, slowly.

"Oh, yeah, I'm a coffee whore. I love the stuff."

"Well... would you like beer more if it tasted like coffee?" He drew the question out carefully.

"Probably." She shrugged. "Why?"

"Well, try this." Oswald popped the cap off her beer and handed it to her. "If you don't like it... we hate you and you can't live here."

Lewis twitched and looked at Oswald. "What?"

"You heard me!"

"Sounds fair, I guess." Charlie shrugged and took a sip. "Wow!" She sat up. "Holy crap, that stuff's not half bad!"

"You're not just saying that so you can stay here, are you?" Oswald eyed her.

"No, actually!" She took another drink. "I love this stuff. What'd you call it?"

"Buzz Beer." Lewis smirked. "We own shares in the company."

"Really? Dang, that's lucky. This is awesome."

"Yep." Lewis glanced at his watch. "Oh hey, I gotta be off."

"See ya later, Lewis!" Oswald called after him. Charlie waved too, then crossed her legs and faced Oswald.

"So only he works on Saturday?"

"Yeah." Oswald shrugged. "I usually just do a puzzle or something..."

"For 9 hours...?"

He nodded and stared off into space.

After a second, Charlie grinned. "Hey, I've got an idea!"

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

"Here, try this! AH no no no no!" Charlie was holding a piece of cookie dough, and leapt to intercept Oswald grabbing a handfull of flour. She failed, and he poofed it at her face, covering her hair and the top of her shirt in the stuff.

"OSWALD!" She shrieked, and put a flour handprint on his shirt, followed by the cookie dough on his nose.

"Hey!" He laughed, in that baritone voice of his. When she turned around he tried to grab her apron, but his hand got hooked in the bow and when she turned around, it yanked him right up to her.

"Whoa!" Charlie giggled, and planted another flour handprint, this time on his face.

Oswald laughed again, then teetered off as he realized their faces were inches apart.

They both chuckled, then, almost in slow-motion, Oswald put his hand on Charlie's neck, and pulled her into a soft, warm, floury kiss.

When he let go, Charlie slowly blinked the flour off of her eyelashes.

Then she giggled again. "Hi Oswald."

He grinned that big dumb grin of his. "Hi Charlie."

She stared at him for another second, then took his hand off her neck and went back to stirring the dough.

Oswald stared at her, grinning, as she tried not to smile. One thing kept her sort of solemn.

_...before she broke his heart..._

She still believed the story could come true, if she wasn't careful.

Oswald shook the flour mostly out of his hair, then put his arm around Charlie's waist and scooped out a fingerful of cookie dough.  
"Mmm!" He commented.

"Right?" She grinned, and took some for herself. "Okay, so the oven's preheated, _most _of the ingredients are still in the bowl." Oswald grinned and wiped the flour off his cheek.

"So now we just scoop and bake."

They scooped and baked, then stood by the oven, smelling the cookies bake to perfection.

While they waited, Charlie tried to wash her face, and when most of the flour was gone, the only spot that was left was on the tip of her nose.

"Hold on," Oswald directed, then took his sleeve and wiped the last bit off.

Which once again put him in a position of being right near her face.

Charlie blinked her big green eyes at him. "Hey Oswald?"

"Yeah?"

"Close your eyes."

"Okay..." He did, and flinched a little when he felt Charlie's lips on his cheekbone. But he kept them closed, and stayed perfectly still as she left a little tiny kiss all the way down his cheek, right up to his mouth, where she lingered a second or two, then pulled back and grabbed his hands.

Oswald opened his eyes, and Charlie smiled. "How was that?"

His mouth twitched in a tiny smile. "That was nice. That was..." He shrugged, and grinned bigger.

She kept on smiling, and winked. Then released his hands, and bent down to examine the cookies through the oven window.

"They're almost done, see?"

The guy leaned down next to her and looked in.

"I don't see any difference..."

Charlie shoved him and laughed. "They're poofier, ding-dong. And once they get this nice brown color, we'll take them out."

"And eat them all?" Oswald bounced hopefully.

"And eat 'em all!" She giggled and bumped into him with her shoulder.

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

"Here, what about this one?" Charlie offered a cookie, and Oswald bit it thoughtfully. After a minute, he nodded in appreciation.

"Gooey!"

Charlie grinned, and took one off the coffee table for herself.

They heard the front door open, and turned to see Lewis stomp in, not pausing, and go in his room and slam the door.

Charlie frowned and spoke around her cookie. "Whuf wrong wif him?"

"I dunno," Oswald stood up and investigated, Charlie trailing. "Let's go see."

They walked carefully down the hall, and Oswald tapped on Lewis's bedroom door.

"Buddy? You okay?"

"NO!"

"Can we talk about it?" Oswald asked through the door.

The response was something hitting the door, and then the sound of it locking.

Oswald's face crinkled in concern. "Lewis?" He called. "Lewis?"

Charlie sighed. "I've got this." She swapped places with Oswald and knocked on the door. "Lewis? I know you can hear me." She sighed and turned the Oswald. "Turn around for a sec, will you bud?"

He looked confused, but did so, and heard some shuffling, then. "Lewis, open the door for me. Now."

He unlocked it, and slowly creaked it open, then Oswald heard him take an irregular breath.

"Charlie?"

"Yeah yeah, _now _will you talk to Oswald?"

"I'd rather talk to you..."

Oswald heard a _thunk, _then Lewis yelping. "What'd you do that for?"

"Just be cool! Let Oswald in."

"Fine," He growled.

Oswald turned back around, and caught the last couple seconds of Charlie putting her shirt back on.

"Hey!" He barked. "How come you took off your shirt in front of _him_?"

"Because, I know he can't even get it up for that..."

Lewis glared at her, but opened the door enough for Oswald to come in, then slammed it behind him.

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

Charlie slouched on the couch, flipping through TV channels before hitting _Star Trek: The Original Series,_ and tossing the remote to the side.

Through the coos of tribbles, Charlie heard the footsteps down the hall behind her, and saw Lewis and Oswald both appear and take a seat on the couch with her.

"Are these chocolate chip?" Lewis grabbed a cookie and stared at the TV.

"Trouble with Tribbles?" He commented.

Charlie nodded and glanced at them. "So what-"

"I don't wanna talk about it." Lewis said flatly, taking another bite of his cookie.

"Okay. Cool." She shrugged and went back to the TV.

Lewis turned, looking at Oswald. "Say; how the heck did you get flour in your hair?"

Charlie snorted and grinned, and Oswald blushed. "We were baking!"

"In your hair?"

"No! It was an accident!"

"Then how'd you get flour on your mouth and cheek?"

It was Charlie's turn to blush, and she bit her cheek. "He told you, baking!"

"Why are you giving us the third degree?" Oswald narrowed his eyes.

"Well I leave a woman and a dolt alone in my house for 9 working hours, I have to assume you did SOMETHING wrong."

"I resent that!" Charlie announced, waving a hand.

"Yeah, me too!" Oswald nodded, then looked at Charlie and whispered. "What does resent mean?"

She patted his arm.

Lewis looked between them a few times, then groaned. "Oh no. You guys did it, didn't you?"

Charlie widened her eyes. "What? Lewis, me and Oswald never made love!"

Oswald's neck turned red, and Lewis rolled his eyes. "Not that! You had a cookie-baking-flour fight! The ultimate sexy childhood memory."

Charlie looked at him strangely. Then started again. "Right! That's it. Totally what I was thinking about. Why would me and Oswald have sex?" She laughed nervously. "I wasn't thinking about that at all."

Oswald looked at her and blinked, frowning. "What-?"

Lewis slapped his leg. "You're taking my advice! Aren't you?"

She shrugged and gave him a half-smile. "Yeah, yeah. I'm going to stay in Cleveland for a little while. At least a couple of months."

"Well that's not much time!" Oswald cut in, looking distraught for the millionth time that week.

"It's a lifetime, for me." Charlie rubbed his leg, and he looked down at his hands.

"Well," Lewis shifted, facing toward them both now, and arched an eyebrow at Charlie. "As long as you're sticking to the story..." He winked at her, slowly. "I'll always be here."

"Good to know." She arched an eyebrow in return. "Maybe if Oswald dies in a fiery crash off of a cliff into a field of cacti, I'll consider it."

"Are you saying you'd have sex with Oswald's corpse before you slept with me?"

Oswald grinned, and Charlie shrugged. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. But don't give up just yet, I like tall guys." She winked.

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

"What about E.T.?" Charlie asked without looking up.

"Too Spielberg."

She tossed the VHS back into the cardboard box and pulled out something else.

"Close Encounters?"

"Same problem."

She tossed that one back too, and then gasped and pulled out another video.

"THX! Please please please PLEASE?"

Lewis nodded and shrugged, taking another drink of his beer. "That works."

"Yay! I mean- awesome! I mean- cool."

Charlie pulled the tape out of it's case and popped it in the VCR, then sat down next to Lewis and grabbed her beer.

The two sat quietly through 88 minutes of Duvall's fantastic acting and George Lucas' great effects.

When it was over, Charlie sighed. "I love that movie."

"Yeah," Lewis agreed. Then after a second, turned to her. "So you wanna make out?"

"Lewis..." She groaned, and put her head down on her knees.

"It was just a question, gosh." He rolled his eyes and grabbed her empty beer bottle, putting them both in the trash and then stretching out. "I'm gonna hit the hay. You coming?"

Green eyes glared in Lewis's direction, so he shrugged and walked off to his room.

A few minutes later, Oswald emerged from the shower, and sat down on the couch next to Charlie.

"Hey bud."

"Hey," Oswald rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, hey Charlie?"

"Yeah handsome?"

"Well, I need to tell you something..."

She looked at him and blinked, curious. "Okay..."

"We've only been hanging out for a few days... so this might sound weird, but..." He rubbed his hands on his legs, nervously. "I like you a lot, and I might, well, you know, love you."

Charlie raised her eyebrows and swallowed. "Uh... really?" She scratched her arm. "That's um... wow."

Oswald watched her, quietly. "It's what?"

"It's just that... I don't... I mean I can't..." She took a breath. "Oswald, I can't get attatched. I mean, I'm leaving in about a month..."

"Why?" He said it earnestly, like a naiive little kid.

"Because, Oswald. Just because. But, you know," She shrugged and tried to smile. "I like you too."

"Oh." Oswald looked down at his hands. "Just 'like' me?"

Charlie groaned, and banged her forehead with a closed fist. "No, okay, I like you a lot too! I love you, Oswald." She let out a low 'grr' sound and sighed.

He leaned accross the couch and kissed her, very softly, then let go and scooted closer to Charlie and she grabbed his huge hand with her tiny one one.

"It's okay, Charlie." He said, his voice normal decibal. He nodded, as if reassuring himself. And looked slanted upward, as if thinking. His dark blue eyes glittered in the faint light.

_God, I love those eyes. _Charlie's throat caught, and she grinned up at the hulking Ken-doll of a guy Oswald was.

She squeezed his hand and returned the kiss, a little heavier than he had.

Oswald smiled down at her and rested his head on top of hers. Just relaxing.


	4. The Date and The Tickle Fight

When Oswald and Lewis wandered into the kitchen the next morning, they found coffee brewing, and two stacks of French toast along with a note;

_Went to work. Will be back at five._

_-C_

Oswald shrugged and sat down behind one of the plates.

Lewis joined him and took a bite. "Mmm!"

"Man, she sure is a good cook." Oswald commented, getting a dreamy look on his face.

"Among other things, I'm assuming?" Lewis mumbled through a bite of food.

"What? Oh, no." Oswald shook his head and cut off another piece. "We just talked last night."

"Uh-oh."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing." Lewis glanced away, then back at Oswald, with a look of sadism. "How long have you two been going out?"

"We're not..."

"So how many times have you been alone together?"

Oswald thought. "At least a couple of hours every day... what's your point?" He eyed Lewis suspiciously.

"Exactly," Lewis ignored the look. "And you've never slept together?"

"No..."

"Uh-huh." He took another bite, then sat back and crossed his arms. "I hate to tell you this buddy... but you're her reverse boy-toy."

"Noooo!" Oswald shook his head. "Don't boy-toys usually just have sex without any kind of emotional... oh." He frowned. "So? What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing's wrong with it- if you're getting some. But you're not, are ya?"

Oswald glared and crossed his arms. "That doesn't matter. We're in love!"

"Ha!" Lewis did a fake, aloof laugh and shook his head in pity. "There's no such thing as love!"

Oswald stood up. "I don't have to take this from you!" He grabbed his French toast and added. "I already get that from my counsellor!" He stomped off.

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

"Ma'am?" Charlie tapped on the shoulder of a peacock of a woman in front of her. No joke- she really was dressed like a peacock.

"Yeah, what?" The woman turned around. The makeup on her face practically glowed.

"Can you, um, tell me where the copy room is?"

"Oh, yeah, sure." She pointed towards the stairs. "Next floor down, accross the hall, first door on your left."

"Thanks." Charlie smiled apologetically. "I'm new here, and it's a big building."

"Yeah, yeah, no problem, stick-girl."

Charlie blinked, then turned to go, and then came back around.

"Oh, and by the way, I love your makeup."

"Really?" The woman asked, suspiciously.

"Yeah! It's totally expressive. I like all the different shades of... rainbow..."

"Thanks," She looked thoughtful, then held out a hand. "I'm Mimi. Mimi Bobeck. Office manager."

"Charlie." The shorter woman shook the hand. "Papergirl."

"Nice to meet you Charlie. Papergirl, huh? Why don't you grab me some coffee on your way back up."

"What the heck, sure. Regular?" Mimi nodded and Charlie gave her a thumbs up, and then walked off to the stairs.

Mimi watched her for a second, and when she turned she almost ran into Drew, who asked rhetorically. "Stalking your latest victim?"

She glared, and retorted. "At least my victims aren't made out of garbage bags, pig." She shoved past him, and Drew followed Charlie down the stairwell.

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

Charlie finished filling up a cup of coffee, then turned and saw a familiar pair of glasses.

"Oh, hi Mr Carey!"

He smiled. "You can just call me Drew, if you want."

"Whatever you say man. I'm totally indebted to you for giving me those references."

"Well you want to make up for it by going to dinner with me?" He scuffed a shoe on the floor.

Charlie smiled. "Sounds fun! Oh, I have to call and let the guys I'm staying with know that I'll be out. What time do you want to meet?"

"How about the Warsaw Tavern at nine-o-clock?"

"Perfect." She balanced the coffee cup and her copies, and walked past Drew to the stairs. "See you tonight!"

When she was gone, Drew turned to no one in particular. "That worked better than it should have." He thought about it. "I wonder what's wrong with her..."

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

Charlie got back to the house at 5:30, having stopped to pick up some groceries, and knocked on the door with her foot.

Oswald opened it, in nothing but his boxers and socks, then realized who it was and jumped back.

"Oh, uh- let me-" He held up a finger, then ran off and got on some pants. He came back out to Charlie laughing, and helped her with the armloads of bags.

"So why'd you go shopping? We have plenty of food..." He glanced in the fridge at the ten beers, bottle of mustard, carton of old milk, and mystery tupperware. "Oh..."

She grinned, and started putting stuff away. "Anyway, I need certain ingredients, and other stuff..." She grabbed one bag that Oswald had started to open, and went down the hall and tossed it in the toy room.

"What was in that?"

"None of your concern," She winked and pulled out a bag of tomatoes.

"What are _those_?" Oswald stepped back.

"It's fruit." Charlie grinned and put the bag in the crisper. "Don't worry, the way I make it, it'll taste like candy."

"I like candy," He agreed thoughtfully. "But why'd you buy all this stuff? We could have just gotten some TV dinners."

She shrugged. "I like cooking. It keeps me sane."

"I feel that way about cartoons." Oswald smiled, and started helping her put stuff away.

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

When Lewis got home a few hours later, he heard both of their voices in the kitchen.

Charlie was directing. "Now- keep stirring it- now just put in a _tiny _pinch of basil. Not too much or it'll get stuck in your teeth. Good! Now some more flour."

Lewis peeked in, and saw Charlie dicing raw chicken, supervising Oswald standing over the stove with a spoon, stirring something-or-other simmering.

"Hey guys," He said cautiously, trying to sound casual.

Oswald turned around, and waved his wooden spoon. "Hey Lewis! How was work?"

"Great," He said, noncommitally. Then asked. "Oswald, why are you wearing a frilly pink apron?"

"Because I wanted the one with the 'Don't Kiss the Cook' slogan." Charlie declared.

"Okay... that makes total sense..." Lewis still sounded confused. Then he decided to change the subject. "So what are you making?"

"Mm," Charlie grinned. "Chicken á la Fisher." She pointed. "Oswald's making the sauce, and I'm getting ready to do the chicken."

Oswald giggled like an elementary kid and murmured. "_Do _the chicken..."

Lewis angled his head. "Fisher?"

"My last name,"

"Like... as in Carrie Fisher?"

"Yep. My mom changed her last name after my parents saw Star Wars. My dad's last name is Ford."

"Wow." Lewis looked impressed. "What are their first names?"

She grimaced. "Dana and Fox."

"Tell me that's a coincidence."

"My mom's is. My dad said as soon as X-Files came out, he _had _to change his name to Fox. For my mom's sake."

He whistled out and nodded. "So you're a properly cultured girl!"

Charlie grinned, and scooped the diced chicken onto a cookie sheet. "So they say."

"Wow," Lewis said again, this time in a lower voice, and made eye contact with Oswald. They held a quick telepathic conversation.

_Oswald, this one's a keeper._

_I know!_

_I hate you._

Oswald frowned and raised an eyebrow, then put his hand on his hip.

"You can never be happy for me!"

"Huh?" Charlie glanced up at the guys glaring at eachother. Her eyes windened. "Did I just miss something?"

"Yeah! Lewis is a big fat jerk!"

"Oswald is a crybaby!"

"Hey, hey!" Charlie walked between them and gave them each a stern look. "There is no fighting in the kitchen. I don't care if you recreate the holocaust in the livingroom, but in this kitchen- while _I'm _cooking- THERE IS ONLY LOVE AND GOOD FOOD." She barked. "Understood?"

Lewis crossed his arms.

Oswald looked at the floor.

"Lewis?" She said, a warning tone in her voice.

"You can't tell me where not to fight in my own hou..." He glanced at the chicken-dicing knife in her hand. "I mean... do you need any more help?"

She smiled. "Much better. And yes," She handed him the cookie sheet. "Put this in the oven and set a timer for half an hour."

He followed her instructions, and she helped Oswald get the saucepan off the stove without burning himself.

"Now what?" Lewis asked.

"Now, you guys can go catch the second half of the SG-1 marathon. I'll clean up in here."

"You are an angel from the highest parts of heaven." Lewis declared, and retreated to the living room with Oswald.

The second half of a boring episode was playing, so Lewis turned to Oswald and asked him about his day.

"Well, I got to this one place today..." Oswald looked thoughtful. "When they answered the door and I said 'package for Miss Robinson' the lady slapped me and slammed the door..."

Lewis frowned. "That's odd..." He paused, thoughtfully."Usually I care about your day- but man!" He inhaled deeply and took in the smell of baking food. "That just smells too good!"

Oswald agreed, so they came back into the kitchen and helped Charlie wash dishes for a few minutes, all the while taunted by the aroma of chicken and tomato.

"So Charlie, what about you? How was the first day in the... wherever you work?"

"It was great, I met a bunch of cool people, and a guy asked me to dinner tonight."

Oswald shot Lewis a look.

"He did?"

"Yeah," She scrubbed a plate. "I'm meeting him at the Warsaw tonight."

"Cool..." Lewis glanced at Oswald, who looked confused. "We need to catch up on our drinking anyway. Want us to drive you there?"

"Sure. I was gonna take my car, but whatever works." She smiled, then a timer dinged. "Chicken's done!"

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

"So this guy, what's he like?" Oswald kept his eyes on the road, talking to Charlie in the back seat.

"He's cute. And he seemed very sweet. You know, personality and stuff..."

Oswald exchanged a look with Lewis.

_Uh-oh._

_What?_

_Oswald, do you think it's possible that-_

_Nope._

_But he works near-_

_Not. Him._

_It could be-_

_No._

Lewis scoffed, and glanced out his window.

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

They pulled into the Warsaw parking lot, and Charlie agreed to be designated driver before they even got out.

Once inside, Charlie looked around, then looked at the guys. "He's not here yet, so..."

"We are early." Oswald commented. "Why don't you just hang out with us until your date gets here."

"Whoa," She laughed slightly. "It's not even a date. I just want to get to know him better. And besides, he helped me get a job, so I couldn't say no."

Lewis looked at her our of the corner of his eyes.

"It's true!"

The guys grabbed a table, and Charlie offered to get their beers.

Oswald looked at Lewis while Charlie was off near the bar.

"I don't like this, Lewis. What if she... you know, likes him?"

"Relax." Lewis scoffed for the second time that night. "If it _is _Drew-"

"Which it's not."

"Right. But if it _is_, there's no way she'd choose him over you. No girl would. Well," Lewis shrugged. "Except Kate. And Emily in junior high. And Melissa in high school. And Erin from the bookstore. But other than them!"

Oswald twisted up his face anyway and shrugged halfheartedly.

Charlie came back with beers for the guys and a plate of nachos for herself.

When Lewis gave her a funny look, she got defensive. "What? I'm hungry! I always get hungry when I'm nervous!"

Oswald rubbed his palm, and stayed quiet.

The three sat in silence for a few minutes, then Charlie looked up when the bell on the door rang.

"That's him." She smiled, stood up and adjusted her shirt. "Do I look okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Lewis muttered.

Oswald looked at her. _Like an angel. _He frowned, and went back to looking at his palms.

Smiling, Charlie waved. "Drew! Over here,"

The guys jerked their heads up, and saw Drew- the right Drew- their Drew- walk over to their table.

"Hey guys, what are you doing here?" He sounded pleasantly surprised. "I haven't seen you in days!"

"We were just hanging out with a buddy..." Oswald scratched the back of his head and didn't make eye contact with Charlie when she looked at him.

"She's really Oswald's _buddy _more than my _buddy_, Drew." Lewis gestured to the two dark-haired people pointedly.

But either Drew didn't catch on, or he ignored it, and went over to hook arms with Charlie.

"Shall we?"

She half grinned. "Sure. Where did you have in mind?"

They walked off, discussing restaurants, and Oswald finally looked up when their voices faded off.

"Man," He groaned. "There goes another one."

"It's okay, buddy," Lewis reassured. "There are other gorgeous women out there who aren't scared of us and will spend the whole night rocking you to sleep, making cookies for us..." He sat up, and looked at Oswald, his eye twitching. "My _god, _man! I can't believe you let her get away!"

Oswald slammed his head on the table.

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

"So you like Italian food?"

"Sure, I love it." Charlie nodded and took a bite of her lasagna. "I make the most killer rotini and chicken, you'll have to try it some time.

Drew grinned. The date was going well so far. She liked good food, she could cook, she was pretty, smart, and she laughed at his jokes without leaving that awkward silence there usually was when most women didn't get it.

She was perfect. He even thought, maybe after desert, if he was lucky-

"Drew!" Oswald's gravelly voice rang from across the restaurant.

"Oswald? What are you doing here?"

Charlie looked up at him, her eyebrows going up in confusion. "Oswald?"

He nodded. "Charlie."

Charlie turned to her date. "Drew?"

Oswald looked at Drew intensely. "This is something I should have done a long time ago!" He held up a hand, and for a nanosecond, Drew was sure he was going to get hit, then Oswald leaned over and grabbed Charlie's shoulder.

"Charlie, please _please _don't start going out with Drew! You can't- I don't want to lose the cooking lessons, the stories, the hugs... you can't leave Cleveland, and you can't be with Drew! I don't ever want you to go- anywhere! I want you to stay with me and Lewis and be bachelor number three and hang out with us and go drinking with us and _please-don't-date-Drew-Charlie!_" He was breathing heavily, and his brow was knit, a little red line marking the ferocity of his speech..

Charlie blinked, slowly, like the time she was trying to get the flour off of her lashes.

Drew stared at them both, caught in a time loop, Oswald's eyes flickering desperately between hers, his hand on her shoulder, his legs shaking from crouching so long; and Charlie's blinking increasing, while her mouth twitched and her shoulder turned red under Oswald's grip.

A waiter broke the trance.

"Uh... does anyone need more water?"

Oswald blinked, and drew back. "Huh?"

"Agua, signor?"

Drew looked from Oswald to Charlie, then at the waiter. "Actually, we're ready for the check."

"Would you like some boxes?"

Drew glanceed at his almost untouched plate. "Please,"

The waiter nodded awkwardly and dashed off. Drew stood up and touched Oswald's shoulder.

"Sorry man, I had no idea..."

"No, I'm sorry." Oswald rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I didn't mean to ruin your date."

"Oswald?" Charlie stood up, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Why didn't you say that earlier? When I first told you I had a date?"

"I just... didn't want you to leave Cleveland. I figured if you got together with a Cleveland guy, you might stay a little longer. I didn't think it was going to be Drew." He looked up aplogetically. "Sorry, man."

Charlie scratched her arm. "Guys I didn't know you even..." She pulled a 20 out of her pocket. "Sorry, Drew," She handed him the 20. "Thanks for the conversation, and dinner. I need to get him home."

Drew saw the way she looked at Oswald when she said that, and it finally clicked in his head.

"No, no problem at all. Thanks." He smiled and looked at the floor. "Thanks for taking care of him."

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

Oswald was quiet on the ride back home, sitting in the back with Charlie as Lewis drove.

When Lewis had seen the look on Oswald's face, he had shut his mouth and kept it that way.

When they got home, Lewis murmured, "Lock up." and handed Charlie the keys, and went inside.

Charlie got out of the car, shut it and locked it behind Oswald, and trailed him into the house.

Once inside, she touched his shoulder, and he grimaced and sat down with her on the couch.

"Honey?" Charlie moved her hand down to his bicep and hugged his arm.

Oswald looked her in the eye. "I am really, _really _sorry I crashed your date, Charlie. We'll understand if you don't want to stay at all... a-and if you want to hit me." He looked back down.

"Oswald, I don't want to hit you," She chuckled. "You really sound like a little kid sometimes, you know?"

Nodding, he made evident that he could act like one too. "Are you sure you don't want to hit me?"

"Perfectly." Charlie rubbed his back and put her head on his shoulder. "I'm actually kind of happy you came."

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows and looked back at her.

"Yeah," Half smiling, Charlie looked off into the non-existent distance. "You know, when I was travelling through Nevada one month, I did some pretty funky stuff for money. After that, I kind of assumed all guys were secretly perverts."

Oswald shook his head. "No, most of us are pretty out in the open about that." Lewis came to mind at that remark.

She giggled, and Oswald turned and kissed the top of her head, smelling the pretty scent of... something.

"Hey Charlie, what do you wash your hair with?"

"You like it?" She grinned.

"It smells... sexy."

She sat up and looked at him mischeviously. "Sexy smelling, you say?"

"Oh yeah." He nodded with a dumb smile on his face.

"Oswald, I use men's soap, completely."

He made a face. "What? Why would you do that?"

"This one brand reminds me of my dad, I always liked the smell, so I just use it. It's cheaper anyway." She giggled. "You said my dad smells sexy."

Oswald's neck turned red, and he stuttered. "Y-yeah, w-well... I wouldn't do this to your dad!"

He grabbed her and kissed her, pushing her teeth open with his tongue, and meeting hers halfway through. Charlie breathed in sharply through her nose, then closed her eyes and wrapped an arm around Oswald's back and entwined the curls in his hair around her fingers.

He let go of her mouth but set his forehead on hers, staring into her eyes.

She looked at him, and thought for the millionth time. _His eyes are so... wow._

While he was thinking. _She still smells good, even if it's like a man. And she's so pretty..._

"Hey Oswald?" She whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I think I love you. Like, actually love-love you."  
He swallowed, then smiled his smirky-smile and said. "You too, Charlie. You too."

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

"YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE THE TICKLE MONSTER!"

Lewis yelled in terror for the millionth time that day. "SENSITIVE BLADDER! SENSITIVE BLADDER!"

"BULLSHIT!" Charlie sat on his back firmly, and dug her fingers into his ribs, hitting the sensitive spots.

Under her, Lewis managed to flip, and squeezed her thighs, making Charlie yelp and try to jump up, but now he had a firm grip on her legs, and she was the one struggling to escape.

"WHO'S THE TICKLE MONSTER NOW?"

"YOU!" She screamed. "YOU WIN! YOU WIN! UNCLE!"

"NO UNCLE!" Lewis laughed a manic, throaty laugh. "YOU SHALL SUFFER!"

At that moment, the door swung open and Oswald walked in, and stopped to stare at them;

Charlie sitting on Lewis's stomach, his massive hands gripping her thighs and them both crying from laughing and being tickled.

They paused, and looked up at him.

"Hi, Oswald." Charlie giggled.

"Is this what it looks like?" Oswald said carefully.

"Yes. Yes it is." Lewis said through echoes of laughter.

Oswald stared a minute more, then grinned and threw his bag on the floor.

"TICKLE FIGHT!"

Charlie screamed again, and managed to wriggle out of Lewis's grasp and grab one of Oswald's arms, forcing him to the floor and pinching the fat right in front of his hips, on his pelvis bone.

"AAAUUGHH!" Was all he managed, before grabbing Charlie's unguarded arm and pulling her down, costing her the balance. "You get her feet!" He yelled to Lewis, who scrambled to do so.

With Lewis pinning her legs down, and Oswald hoisting her arms above her head, Charlie laughed so hard she literally had tears streaming down her face.

"N-now what?" Lewis asked, almost out of breath.

"I think," Oswald huffed. "We should make her pay!"

"No!" Charlie practically screamed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"He's right!" Lewis laughed. "You're a bad girl! SAY IT!"

"I'M A BAD GIRL!" Charlie laughed.

"AGAIN!"

Oswald looked at Lewis, realizing where that was coming from. "Hey! Lewis! That's not right."

But Lewis focused on Charlie, who managed to arch an eyebrow and flatten her mouth and look serious, though her chest was still shaking with silent laughter.

"Lewis, don't be gross!"

He rolled his eyes, but kept a firm grip on her legs.

"I have an idea!" Oswald smiled. "Let's tie her to a chair, and then make her watch porn!"

Charlie raised her eyebrow again. "What the heck? Now who's being gorss?"

"You're right, too awkward." Lewis agreed. "I know! Keep the tying her to a chair, but let's make her watch us do your play!"

Oswald frowned. "But that's not torturing her!"

"Some of us would beg to differ..." Lewis muttered.

"Okay, okay." Charlie looked up at Oswald. "How about you guys pick what you eat tonight? You name it, I can make it."

The guys looked at eachother, then nodded.

Lewis started. "We want cake,"

Oswald added. "And spaghetti,"

"And eclairs." Lewis sounded satisfied with himself.

"And beer, right?" Charlie giggled. "Now let me up! I'll go make your stupid cake."

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

They released her, and Lewis offered a hand to help her up.

"And roll... and fold, now put it in the pan... good!" Flour in her hair, where it always seemed to be, Charlie watched Oswald and Lewis's man-hands do the delicate work of rolling eclair dough, then set it in the frying pan without getting burned by the oil.

"You guys are born pros!" She wiped flour off the back of Lewis's neck.

The cake was in the oven, and most of the eclair shells were cooling on the counter. Charlie had decided just to reheat the spaghetti leftovers from Thursday.

"Hey Charlie, thanks for showing us how to do this." Oswald smiled at her, a twinkle in his eye.

Lewis nodded, obliviously agreeing. "Yeah, this baking stuff is acually pretty cool."

She grinned and pushed her bangs back. "You're welcome, guys. Thanks for letting me stay."

They smiled, and the three took a seat at the table, conversing casually.

Then there was an unfamiliar jingle from the other room. Charlie furrowed her eyebrows, confused, then her eyes widened. "Oh wow, that's my cellphone!"

She stood up and ran into the other room to get it, and returned, giving them both a wide-eyed look. Then she picked up.

"Hi- hello?"

The guys watched her face, she smiled a little.

"Oh, hey Aunt Anne..."

She rolled her eyes at them and mouthed "Oh my god", pointing at the phone.

Then she nodded. "Mmhmm, yeah, Cleveland." Then her eyebrows went up, and Charlie sat down. "Really? That's, um... that's neat. Oh, you want me to come?" She winced. "Well, no, but... yeah. I've actually got a few days off work for- yeah? No, no, I didn't have any plans..." Charlie glanced up at Oswald, wistful. "Sure, sure. I can be there by then. Okay, bye. Love you too, Aunt Anne." She hung up, and laid her head down on the table.

"I have to go to Akron tomorrow."

Oswald frowned. "Why?"

And Lewis chipped in. "For how long?"

"My parents are visiting my cousins... and probably for a few days. They always manage to snag me and I can't get out."

Oswald glanced at Lewis, then back at Charlie. "Well maybe we could come with you."

"Hey, that's a great idea!" Lewis raised his eyebrows and looked at Charlie, who groaned. "You guys are going to _hate _it! My parents are total psychos."

"Charlie." Lewis said in a low scary voice. "Any woman who will change her last name to Fisher is a woman I can get along with in _any_ situation."

Oswald nodded. "And I wanna meet the people who raised such a good cook!"

Charlie smiled halfway, then nodded slowly. "Okay. You guys can come. Just know, I'm a hardcore traveller. My car; my rules."

"We'll be good!" Oswald nodded enthusiastically.

Lewis crossed his arms. "We are _the _best travellers ever."


	5. Traffic Jams! And my HAIR!

"I have to pee." Lewis declared from the backseat.

"Find a bottle!" Charlie retorted.

Oswald was also in the backseat, but he was making tiny braids in Charlie's hair.

"I don't wanna pee in a bottle!"

"Whiner! Then hold it, I'm not stopping! This is a 45 minute drive, usually, it's not my fault."

They were stuck in traffic, having happened upon rush hour, half way between Cleveland and Akron, and the guys- having short attention spans- had to find new ways to bother Charlie to stay entertained.

"Say, Oswald? Would you mind not pulling my hair? It kind of hurts."

"Sorry!" He smoothed the back of her head, then put his hands in his lap.

Sighing, Charlie pushed the ON button on her radio, then flipped through stations until Journey came up, and she let it be and stared at the road, inching forward every few second.

"Hey Charlie?"  
"Yes, Oswald?"

"Can I sit up front?"

"Hey, I don't want to be back here alone!" Lewis complained.

The driver sighed again and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"No, just stay back there... for Lewis's sake."

Oswald sighed, then looked around the interior of Charlie's car for the millionth time.

It was very homey, with all of the seats padded. Charlie told them she'd done that because of how often she ended up sleeping in the car. Besides the padding, there were movie posters tacked to the ceiling, from _The Fly, The Empire Strikes Back _and _Re-Animator_, some movie neither Oswald nor Lewis had even heard of.

Lewis kept fogging up the window with his breath and drawing pictures in it, and when Oswald was sure he was properly distracted, he leaned forward and whispered something in Charlie's ear that made her giggle quietly.

"Oswald, that's messed _up._"

Lewis swiveled his head toward them. "Now what?"

"Nothing." Charlie grinned, and bit her lip.

The car moved forward another five feet, then stopped. Charlie twitched, then smiled manically.

"Oswald, come here." He unbuckled and leaned forward, and Charlie turned and licked his neck, slowly, dragging her tongue. Then she pulled back, and grinned, eyes back on the road.

Oswald's eye were wide, and he just stayed in the same spot for a second, before speaking, his voice cracking to a higher pitch. "What was _that_?"

Charlie's grin grew, and she raised an eyebrow. "I have wanted to do that ever since I met you."  
Oswald's voice was still high. "Yeah but _why_?"

"Because you have a yummy neck." She winked, and Oswald sat back down, blinking, and got buckled.

There was silence for a minute, then Charlie spoke up again. "And just because that was awkward, and awkward is entertaining- Lewis, get up here."

He did so without hesitation, and closed his eyes.

Charlie planted a gentle kiss on his cheek, and he opened up. "That's it?"

She shrugged.

"Well then," Lewis kissed her temple, then sat back down and buckled, crossing his arms.

Oswald stared at him for a second, then hit Lewis with the back of his hand.

_Ow! _Lewis thought at Oswald. _What was that for?_

_You keep your slimy lips off my girl! _Oswald glared.

Lewis rolled his eyes. _My lips aren't even that slimy, you know that._

_Just you watch yourself, pal._

They both crossed their arms and looked out their respective windows.

After about fifteen minutes of silence, Charlie glanceed up.

"Holy crap guys, the traffic is clearing!"

"Wow," Lewis leaned over to look out the windshield. "It is."

Charlie looked grim, and changed lanes to get to the exit.

_This is not going to be fun..._

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO _  
_

Charlie pulled up to a huge antebellum manor, and turned off the ignition in her car.

She looked in the backseat, and saw Oswald and Lewis, their cheeks pressed together, sleeping like 6-foot-plus babies.

A smile tugged at her lips and she made sure to shut her door quietly when she got out.

Charlie sighed and straightened her shoulders, then walked to the porch and rang the rusty old doorbell.

A heavyset woman with bright eyes and long dark hair flung it open, and grabbed Charlie into a hug.

"Charlotte!"

"Aunt Anne!" She whined, but returned the hug.

The older woman released her niece and smiled. "Girl, you get prettier every time I see you. Oh, your parents are in the guest room unpacking."

Charlie nodded, then raised her eyebrows, remembering. "I hope you don't mind, I brought some friends."

"Not at all! There's always room for more!"

Charlie gestured with her keys. "They're sleeping in the backseat- worn out from pestering me, I'm sure." She rolled her eyes.

"Aw, well, you just leave them be. I'll help you get your bags to you room, then we'll wake them later." Anne winked, and grabbed Charlie's backpack, to her protest, and dragged it into one of the various guest bedrooms.

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

_Knock knock knock._

Oswald flinched.

"Sweetie?"

Charlie opened the car door and kissed Oswald's ear. "Wakey-wakey. We're here."

He sat up and stretched, giving Charlie a moment to admire his biceps, before he nudged Lewis awake. "We're here, buddy."

Lewis rubbed his eyes and got out to stretch.

Before he could shut the door, Lewis heard shoes pounding on packed dirt, and turned around to see three dark haired kids thundering toward him. He dove back in the car, and locked the door.

All three of the teens threw their arms around Charlie, knocking her to the dirt driveway.

"CHARLOTTE!"

Oswald wrinkled up his nose. "Charlotte?"

Charlie laughed. "That's my name, Oswald."

He scratched his head. "I thought your name was Charlie."

She smiled and rolled her eyes, standing up and brushing off her pants. "It's a nickname, Oswald." She kissed him on the cheek, and the 13-year-olds all said "Ooh!" and made kissy noises at Charlie, who kicked one of them in the butt before they took off into the house again.

Oswald looked at her inquisitively.

"My cousins," She explained. "Uh... is Lewis _afraid _of kids?"

Oswald glanced at the car, where Lewis was cautiously emerging.

He looked back at Charlie. "Only a little."

"Tiny bastards." Lewis muttered, shutting the car door.

"Hey, they're not so bad." Charlie laughed, and gestured with her head. "You guys wanna meet my aunt?"

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

"Charlotte, darling! Could you hand me that pan?" Anne bustled around the kitchen, stirring a million different dishes. All of the burners were on, the oven was full with different dishes, and the room smelled like a gourmet restaurant.

"Wow, this smells good." Lewis raised his eyebrows. "Even better than your cooking, Charlie."

She jabbed him in the ribs, and grinned innocently at her aunt.

"Aunt Anne? These are my buds from Cleveland, Oswald and Lewis."

"Hi there, darlings!" She turned around to face them. "Oh, they're adorable, Charlotte!"

She sized up Lewis and eyed him critically. "You look like a brownies kind of guy."

Lewis's eyebrows went up. "Yeah, actually."

Anne nodded, then looked at Oswald and paused. "Oh my." She walked closer, and looked right in his eyes.

Even though Oswald towered her, he felt a little intimidated by the woman.

"Charlotte, he looks just like your father."

"Don't I know it!" Charlie grinned and put her arm around his waist.

"You know," Oswald looked confused, and he whispered to Charlie. "Sometimes I feel like you're the guy in this relationship..."

"Sorry, sweetie." She smiled up at him then let go of his waist and grabbed his hand.

"So which one's your boyfriend?" Anne had turned back around and was back to her cooking.

Charlie shot looks at both Oswald and Lewis. "Uh, neither of them are, Aunt Anne. They're just friends." She squeezed Oswald's hand.

A crackley voice yelled behind them. "Aunt Dana! Uncle Fox! Charlie's here!"

"Max!" Charlie hissed, but he just laughed and took off with his brothers.

"Where's my baby?" A woman's voice rang down the stairs. A face emerged a second later to follow it. She had shoulder-length red hair, and was wearing a pink sweater.

When she caught sight of Charlie, the woman jogged over and enveloped her daughter in a hug.

"Charlie!" She grinned, a hint of where her daughter's smile came from emerging.

"Hello, Lady Fisher," Lewis stepped forward, using his best lounge voice. "Enchanté, madamoiselle." He kissed her hand, and Dana laughed.

"Oh, my pleasure...?"

Charlie groaned and poked Lewis in the chest. "Mom, this is Lewis. One of the friends I'm staying with in Cleveland. Lewis," She glared. "This is my _mom._"

Lewis shrugged. "So? I slept with Oswald's mom."

Mrs Fisher smirked and rolled her eyes. "You make the most interesting friends, Charlotte."

"Yeah, yeah." Charlie grumbled.

"Hi, Mrs Fisher," Oswald grinned and offered a hand. "I'm Oswald."

"Nice to meet you." She smiled in return, and shook. "You look remarkably familiar."

He shrugged and twisted up his mouth. "I've been getting that a lot here."

"Charlie!" A voice boomed down the stairs, followed by a man flying down them like Fred Astair.

"Daddy!" She ran to meet _this _parent, and jumped up into a hug.

He laughed. "How've you been, girl?"

"Pretty good." She blushed and calmed down, glancing in the guys' direction. "How about you guys? How is... Kansas?"

"It's okay, Charle. It's okay." He smiled and strolled over to the kitchen doorway with Charlie trailing.

"Hey there." He directed smiles at Oswald and Lewis. He offered a hand. "I'm Fox Ford."

"Oswald Harvey,"

"Lewis Kinisky," They both shook his hand, and then stood still while he looked them over.

"So which one of you handsome young guys has been sleeping with my daughter?"

Charlie twitched. "Dad!"

"Oh, no, we wouldn't do that sir..." Lewis spouted nervously.

"Oh! I see! I'm sorry, I didn't realize you two were uh... you know."

They traded looks.

_What, again?_

"We're not gay, Mr Ford..." Oswald rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah," Lewis contributed. "We're just... we just don't think of Charlie that way. She's like one of the guys, you know?"

"Oh I get you there." He rubbed Charlie's head. "She's a bachelor if I ever met one." He winked. "But I don't know how she's not getting any. She got her mom's ass."

"Dad!" The indicated flushed red.

The guys pretended to laugh, but secretly Lewis was checking out her mom to see if it was true, and Oswald was checking out Charlie to see.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm starved." Fox marched into the kitchen, followed by Lewis and Mrs Fisher.

But Charlie grabbed Oswald's hand and pulled him after her.

"I want to show you where I grew up."

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

"What about now?"

"Eyes SHUT, Oswald!"

"Okay, okay." He grinned, and 'accidentally' grabbed Charlie's butt trying to keep up.

"Watch it, hot stuff! Okay... open!"

Oswald opened his eyes, and lost his breath at the sight.

They stood on an open plane, with wildflowers covering the landscape, and an extended bunch of trees in the distance.

"Charlie, what... this is so... pretty."

"Come on," She smiled, and ran off.

"Wait up!" Oswald called after her, and stumbled through the flowers. When he caught up, Charlie was sitting on an old, once-white bench.

She patted the spot next to her, inviting him to sit.

Carefully, Oswald set his weight on the bench, and looked out. There was a perfect view of the sunset.

"Wow." He breathed. "You grew up here?"

"Lived here every summer until I was 15."

"Wow." He repeated, and took a moment before glancing back at Charlie.

She was looking up. "You know what's so great about this place, Oswald?"

"What?" He sat back and grabbed her hand, tracing the lines with his fingers.

"No one but me knows it's here." She looked at Oswald, who was focused on her hand.

"Really?" He looked up and met Charlie's eyes. "Wait... no one?"

"Just you and me." She smiled.

Oswald blinked, then dropped the hand and pulled her into a kiss.

Her lips parted easily, and Oswald's heart started beating harder.

Charlie took a deep breath, her chest rising evenly. It drove Oswald half crazy.

He grabbed her shoulder, then just wrapped both his arms around her delicate frame.

Charlie swallowed, then grabbed the front of Oswald's shirt and unbuttoned it slowly, taking her time to get all of the buttons.

Oswald tugged her shirt over her head, not minding that the kiss was broken for a second. His eyes swept over her body, and Charlie returned the look.

Oswald's chest was perfect; not too buff, not too squishy. And a little hairy, but not bad-hairy.

She made eye contact with Oswald, who looked like he was in a trance. His washy blue eyes had a certain quality in them that made Charlie know she could trust him.

She flashed back, for a microsecond.

_The lightning storm._

_The tickle fight._

_The cookies._

_The date..._

Charlie looked at him.

Oswald smiled, lines forming around those beautiful blue eyes.

"Hi Charlie."


	6. Ouch! Nettles!

Fox's fingers thrummed on the table in front of Oswald and Charlie, who were sitting, shirtless- Charlie wrapped in a towel-, and ashamed.

Lewis cleared his throat. "So... nettles?"

The lovers nodded miserably.

The second they'd touched the grass, the bare skin attracted every nettle in the area, eliciting pained screams from them both, sending them running back to the house, halfway indecent but more worried about the pain than anything else. They'd been greeted by the triplets, who instantly panicked at the sight of two shirtless adults screaming like women, and had called Fox, who now seemed more amused than anything else.

"So Oswald," Charlie's father grinned. "You familiar with nettles?"

Oswald shook his head no, and kept his eyes averted to the floorboards.

"Well, after they sting you, they leave microscopic needles in your arms that will keep on itching until either the skin goes numb, or you _scrape _them off."

Charlie moaned and buried her face in her hands.

They both had the lesions on their torsoes; Charlie had them across her back, right above her pantline, and Oswald had them on the front of his hips, the wounds alone giving more than enough evidence as to what they were doing when attacked.

Dana appeared, sandpaper in hand; Charlie twitched at the mere sight.

Businesslike, her mother handed Lewis a piece and directed him to rub 'up and down' on Oswald's stings.

"I'll get Charlie's- be careful with it, you don't want to rub off the skin, just the needles." Dana directed, and soon her and Lewis were at work.

Charlie shook her head. "Mom, you shouldn't do this. I deserve nettles."

Oswald looked at her sympathetically. "Well if you deserve them, so do I."

"No, Oswald. You don't get it." She made the throat-cut signal, as in _shut up._

Fox laughed. "Oh, so you haven't told him the story?"

"No dad! Don't!" Charlie whined.

Laughing again, the older man pulled up a chair next to Oswald. "It was the summer of '88."

Charlie face-palmed and then glared at the wall while Fox continued.

"You see, there was a reason that her fifteenth was Charlie's last summer here."

Oswald looked enraptured, and ignored the growling sounds coming from the indicated.

Lewis also stopped messing with Oswald's stings and listened to Fox.

"She had a friend, same age, maybe a few months older. He lived down the road, and his name was Booth. I think."

"Yes, dad. Booth Wilkes." Charlie huffed.

"Right. So as I was saying, he lived down the road, and whenever Charlie would stay up here, they would do everything together. They were inseparable." He looked at her inquisitively. "Didn't he have a friend too?"

"Damian."

"Right!" He nodded. "Booth and Damian. Those three were never apart." Grinning, Fox looked between Oswald and Lewis. "So I'm sure you can imagine what happened when everyone got a little older."

Lewis nodded. "Terrific Trio became Delicious Duo."

Oswald loooked at Lewis, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean there were two fifteen year old guys and a fifteen year old girl! What do you _think _happened?" Lewis glared at Charlie. "_Somebody_ got lucky in '88."

She blushed and looked away.

"Right!" Fox laughed. "Except he _didn't._"

"What? Why?" Lewis sounded disappointed.

"They were in Booth's backyard, getting hot and heavy... and someone fell off the hammock into a nettle patch."

"I was fifteen!" Charlie snapped, and looked at Oswald. "It's not a mistake I would have thought I'd make twice..."

He looked incredulous. "You mean I'm not your first Ohio guy?"

She smiled apologetically and rubbed his bare arm. "You're my first Cleveland guy!"

"I don't believe this!"

"Man, the de ja vu is more than I can take." Charlie's dad shook his head and stood up. "C'mon Lewis, lets go get some of those brownies."

"Bring me one, dad?" Charlie smiled.

"Sure hon. Get a shirt on though."

Lewis told Oswald he'd save him one too, and when the room cleared Charlie exhaled and looked at Oswald.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, the burning is almost completely gone."

"Same."

They looked at eachother and laughed a little bit.

"Well this is awkward." Charlie commented.

Oswald chuckled. "Look, I'm sorry." He sobered up a little bit, but kept smiling. "I didn't know that this place was such a huge deal to you."  
She shrugged and smiled.

"But I do have one question."

"What's that?"

"When we first met, you told me you were going to Akron because you'd never been here before. Why'd you lie?"

Charlie looked at her hands. "Truth be told, I never planned on staying here or anything. I was gonna sneak around, catch up on the news..."

"And?"

"Well... I was trying to find Booth."

Oswald looked troubled. "But why?"

She shrugged. "I wanted to see him. Maybe see if he remembered me after fourteen years."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Oswald smiled. "No one would forget _you._"

"Well," Charlie grinned, embarrassed. "I've changed a little bit."

"How so?"

"For one, I used to be blonde..."

Oswald's eyebrows went up. "So black isn't your natural hair color?"

"Oh, it is. I bleached it whenever I came out here. It made me feel like I was leading a double life. It felt cool."

Oswald laughed, and smiled again. "Then how'd you end up in Cleveland?"

"I didn't lie about that. I really did get lost. That night I came into the Warsaw I was just going to get directions and sleep for the night, then be on my way."

"And we stopped you?"

She smiled. "Seems so."

"Woooow." Oswald murmured.

"Charlie!" Anne's voice rang from the other room. "Hurry up and get your shirt on, we have company!"

Charlie jumped up, lugging the towel, and after giving Oswald a kiss on the head, ran into the guest room to get dressed.

Anne walked in, trailed by her boys and a young man, who eyed Oswald with a confused smile when he saw him sitting there, shirtless.

Oswald stood up and offered a hand. "Hi, I'm Oswald Harvey." He looked down. "Uh, sorry, I'll go get dres-"

"Nonsense, you're fine, sweetie." Charlie's aunt gave him a pat on the back, winking.

The other guy smiled, teeth gleaming. "Nice to meet you, Oswald. I'm Damian." He shook the hand. "This is my little sister Joanna." A woman, about 20, with the same messy blonde hair as her brother walked into the room. She smiled, and practically glowed.

"Nice to meet you, Oswald." She gave him a once over, then shook his hand slowly. "_Very _nice."

"And I'm Lewis." The suggested appeared behind Anne, and took Joanna's hand, kissing it. "Nice to meet you... Joanna." He winked.

Oswald felt Charlie's hand on his back, and she walked up next to him.

"Joanna." She aknowledged, coldly.

"_Char_lotte." Joanna returned the tone, and hooked her arm in Lewis's. "This, is, ah... my boyfriend."

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "No it's not."

Lewis looked at Charlie, one eye twitching shut. "Uh... yes I am. I don't know you, black... haired... chick." He patted Joanna's hand.

Charlie rolled her eyes, and looked at Damian. "Hey! I didn't see you there!"

"Oh my gosh, _Charlie_?" He grinned and hugged her, causing Oswald to shift uncomfortably. "I didn't recognize you with all your hair gone! And so... tall." He looked her over, and this time Oswald cleared his throat.

"Well," Charlie put her hands in her pockets, looking casual. "How've you guys been? And what about Booth?"

Damian grinned again. "Booth is great. He has no idea you're here. We asked him to come up, just told him your aunt's been baking again, and he agreed right away."

Charlie's eyes widened. "He's coming- _now_? I'm not ready! Oh my gosh-"

She ran into the bathroom and slammed the door. "Give me a few minutes!"

Oswald stared at the closed door in dismay, then looked at Damian. "Why's she so nervous?"

Damian shrugged. "Women." Then he laughed, and slapped Oswald's back. "Just wait for Wilkes to get here. _Then _it'll get interesting."

OOOOOOooooOOOOOO

Oswald- fully clothed- sat on the back porch with Charlie's family, Damian and his sister. And Lewis, who was trading silly faces with Joanna.

He munched down another brownie and waited for Charlie to emerge.

"Damian!"

A man's voice rang out behind Oswald, and he turned and saw a guy approaching.

He was tall- almost as tall as Lewis- had sandy hair and a mischevious smile dancing across his freckled face.

"What is _up,_ dude?" He patted his buddy on the back, then nodded to Charlie's parents. "Mrs and Mr F."

Oswald stood up and held out a hand. "Hi, I'm a friend of..." He looked at Damian, who shook his head spastically. "A friend of the family's. I'm Oswald."

"Nice to meet you, Oswald." The guy grinned that pixie smile again. "I'm Booth. Booth Wilkes, and I've lived down the road from this cranky old crazy lady since I was a kid." He winked at Anne, who scoffed and waved a dismissive hand at him.

"Oh." Oswald nodded, and strutted around Booth. "So _you're _Booth, huh?"

"Oswald," Lewis gave a warning tone. "Don't get all Vin Diesel on him. Go for Bruce Willis- it's classier."

"Yeah, I'm Booth." He laughed slightly, and backed away from Oswald. "Why do you ask...?"

Before Oswald could say anything, Charlie flew out the back door. "Booth!"

"Charlie!" He gasped, surprise quickly replaced with excitement. "What are- how is- where have- AAGH!"

He rushed over and leaned down to give her a hug.

Charlie smiled, and looked up at him, her eyes gleaming.

"How've you been, man?"

"Fine, fine..." Booth gave her a full once-over and shook his head. "God, Charlie, you're so... grown up."

"Yeah, she really looks like a woman." Oswald piped up. "Not, you know, some blonde fifteen-year-old you'd have sex with or anything."

Charlie winced, and grabbed Oswald's arm and looked at Booth. "Can you give me a minute?"

She dragged Oswald around the corner of the house, and whispered. "What's _wrong _with you? Don't _remind _him!"

"I'm sorry! I just couldn't stand the way he was looking at you!" Oswald complained, and grabbed Charlie's hand. "Don't be mad at me!"

She allowed a little smile. "You know I can't be. You're too cute."  
He nodded, smiling too. "My one defense."

"Don't worry, sweetie. I wont let him get to me. He's one of the things I escaped."

They went back out to the patio, Oswald looking the tiniest bit more cheerful when Charlie started catching up with Booth, sipping lemonade in the Ohio sun.

A while after sunset, cigarettes were lit and beers passed around after all the women but Charlie and Jonna had gone off to bed, along with Charlie's cousins.

"Get this-" Lewis laughed around his beer bottle. "I came back the next morning- no sign of the guy! They told me he broke out- we never heard from the poor bastard again!"

Fox slapped his knee, laughing, and Damian chuckled drunkenly.

Oswald had played things out so that Charlie was sitting between him and Lewis on the porch swing, facing Booth but not being in contact range.

"Well, we should probably head out..." Damian commented, standing and gesturing to his sister, who left Lewis's side grudgingly.

"I guess I should get back too." Booth streched and smiled at Charlie, his baby blue eyes twinkling when he winked.

"I'll walk you to your car." She offered without hesitance, and followed him out.

Oswald looked at his hands, then at Fox. "Hey, Mister Ford?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't think... well, that there's a chance of Charlie getting back together with Booth, is there?"

Her dad sighed and shrugged. "That Charlie- she's a free spirit. She might want to- maybe even try for a little while, but she will never settle down. She's not like me and her mom."

"Huh," Oswald blinked. "Never?"

"No, Oswald." Fox looked at him hard- and solemnly for the first time. "And I can't tell you what to do... I can't even tell my own daighter what to do. But I can give you some advice."

"What's that?"

"Don't get attatched."

Oswald frowned, and laughed slightly, in a humorless tone. "I think it's too late for that. I'm pretty sure I'm in love with her."

Fox shook his head and sighed. "They all were. Boy," He shifted. "No matter how much Charlie loves something, she _will _abandon it. She's scared of connecting. The second she turned 18, my baby girl bought that station wagon and drove to New York, leaving a note that was two lines long. She didn't stay with Booth, she didn't stay with her best friends, she didn't stay with us, and she wont stay with you. I guarantee it."

"Told you so." Lewis muttered, and glared past his beer. "Love is a scam."

"Listen to your friend." The older man nodded, and puffed a cigar.

"But-"

Charlie showed up around the corner and sat down next to Oswald.

"Hey baby." She saw the grim looks on Lewis's and her dad's face and the hurt look on Oswald's.

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"Charlie, are you going to leave me?" Oswald's voice quivered, and he looked Charlie straight in the eye, misting up a little."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Oswald looked at Fox and Lewis, and the three all paused for a minute.

_Could you give us some space?_

_Sure, buddy. Come on Lewis, let's go get some leftovers._

_Aw, but I want to see where this is going..._

Fox stood and excused himself, and Lewis followed, muttering something about sleeping.

Charlie watched Oswald expectantly, and he shrugged after the two other guys left.

"Your dad says you're scared of commitment. I just wanted to know- right now- if you were going to disappear one night and leave me alone."

"Oh, honey..." Charlie's eyebrows went up in concern.

"No, don't you 'oh honey' me, miss Charlotte Fisher." Oswald frowned and scooted away from her touch. "I'm not a little kid or anything. I want the truth. Now."

Charlie looked at her hands and shrugged. "I don't know. Really, Oswald. I don't want to leave you, but I panic and can't just... be stuck somewhere."

"It's not being _stuck _if you _choose _to be there!" Oswald snapped, and put his hands on Charlie's cheeks, forcing her to look at him.

"You don't have to stay _with _me, I just don't want to be one more thing you _escaped_!" He spat out the last word, and stared at Charlie for one more second, before blinking and dropping his hands.

"Please, Charlie."

_BOOOOOOOM!_

The sound of thunder pealed down the landscape, and lightning zig-zagged across the sky.

Oswald instantly and instinctively scooted his body over to Charlie.

She smiled at him, and patted his arm. "Brontophobia."  
"What'd you call me?" Oswald was shaking a little.

"No, it's a medical condition. You have _brontophobia._" She smiled bigger. "It means 'fear of thunder'."

"I'm not scared!" He protested, then jumped again when the thunder sounded for the second time. "I'm just..." He avoided eye contact. "My blood just pumps really fast, my stomach clenches and I want to sit next to you! That's all."

"You right, that doesn't sound like fear. That sounds like sex..."

Oswald nodded and shrugged.

"Well then I guess that makes you a brontophile." Charlie winked and grabbed Oswald's hand. "Come on. Let's get you inside before it starts raining."


End file.
